1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus represented by a facsimile apparatus, in which facsimile numbers and/or mail addresses of transmission destinations are registered in an address book in advance, and a destination is designated using the address book at the time of transmission. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image communication apparatus capable of appropriately managing an address book, no matter whether it is a shared address book or a personal address book (personal address book of each logged-in user).
2. Description of the Background Art
It has become increasingly common to connect an image forming apparatus having a printer function or a copy function to a network, to allow use by a plurality of users. Further, the number of apparatuses having a plurality of modes such as a copy mode, an image communication mode (typically a facsimile mode (hereinafter “facsimile” may also be denoted as FAX or fax)), a network-supported printer mode and a scanner mode, such as MFPs (multi-function peripherals), is increasing. The image communication mode includes the facsimile communication mode of transmitting/receiving image data using public line, an Internet facsimile communication mode of transmitting/receiving image data using Internet connection, an electronic mail communication mode of transmitting/receiving image data as an attachment to an electronic mail (scan-to-mail), an image transfer mode of transferring image data to a storage inside of the MFP, and an image transfer mode (scan-to-folder) of transferring image data to a specific folder using a network line.
In such an MFP, in order to simplify user's operation and to prevent misdirection, it is a common practice to register a destination name (display name) and a FAX number and/or mail address as a speed dial or an abbreviated dial, and to designate a destination using the speed dial or the abbreviated dial at the time of transmission.
Recent MFPs come to have larger storage capacity and allows registration of a huge number of destinations in an address book. It is often the case that such an MFP is shared by a number of users, and when shared, the address book is often shared (when an MFP is shared, it is also common to use a personal address for each logged-in user). No matter whether one address book is shared in an MFP used by a number of users or personal address books are used in a shared MFP, if the number of addresses registered in the address book increases, it becomes necessary to search for a desired address from a large number of addresses. Hence, it becomes difficult to designate a destination. In such a case, it is necessary for an administrator for a shared address book and for the user of each personal address book to maintain the address book and to delete addresses not used (not designated as destinations) for a long time.
Though not directly related to such maintenance of address books, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-13732 (hereinafter referred to as “'732 Reference”) discloses a method of display letting the user know that an icon indicating a program or indicating a combination of a program and data has not been used for a long time, in an information processing system such as a personal computer. According to the icon display method disclosed in '732 Reference, icons are displayed on a display screen. When a user selectively designates a displayed icon, information corresponding to the icon is designated. According to the display method, elapsed time after the last designation of an icon is measured. If the counted time exceeds a first specific time, the manner of display of the icon is changed, to give an alarm. Further, if the measured time exceeds a second specific time longer than a first specific time, the alarm-displayed icon is erased from the display screen.
According to the icon display method, the user can grasp information (icon) not used for a prescribed elapse time. Further, since display of an icon that is not used can be erased from the display screen, the display screen can be used efficiently.
The icon display method disclosed in '732 Reference, however, has the following problem. Specifically, the icon that is not used is eventually not displayed on the display screen. If the user wishes to use the icon again, it is necessary to form the icon again. In other words, simply by deleting information (icon) that is not used for a prescribed time period from the display screen, it is impossible to appropriately meet the demand of the user to use the icon again.
Even when such a method of icon display is applied to maintenance of an address book, what is attained is only an erasure of an address that has not been used for a long time. After an icon is erased, it becomes impossible to designate it as a destination, and it becomes necessary to register it again or to directly input a facsimile number or a mail address. Thus, it is impossible in the image transmission process to simplify user's operation or to prevent misdirection.